Sahara Soul (Bassekou Kouyaté, Sidi Touré and Tamikrest) – London’s Barbican, January 26 2013
By Rachel Jackson
The evening began with the three headliners – Bassekou Kouyaté, Sidi Touré and Tamikrest frontman Ousmane Ag Mossa – taking centre stage to play a pining collaborative blues improvisation titled ‘Peace for Mali’. Bassekou naturally seemed like the leader, standing tall in his draping robes and introducing his lesser-known colleagues to the teeming Barbican hall.
Oumou Sangaré & Béla Fleck – Southbank Centre, London, July 18, 2012.
Because I’m English, and so by default have a dangerously corrosive jet-stream of cynicism coursing through my veins at any given moment, I haven’t yet written a truly rave review of any gig. There is always something to unpick: the tuning, the sound, the crowd, the queue for the bar, the overpriced drinks – you get the idea. But now, for the first time in a long time, I can honestly put my hand on my heart and say the gig I attended on Wednesday was one of the best I have ever seen.
Banjo extraordinaire Béla Fleck and Malian songstress Oumou Sangaré first collaborated back in 2005. As documented in the film Throw Down Your Heart, they met when Fleck rocked up in Bamako, the beating heart of Sangaré’s West African homeland. On Wednesday the duo were joined by a four-strong band, a backing singer, kamalengoni harp, drums and a beast of a bass player (more on that later).
‘Reach for the Bunting’ – St Mark’s Church Hall, Hackney, May 12 2012
The Nest Collective staged an interesting juxtaposition of performances on Saturday night. An energetic ceilidh led by leotard-clad callers was followed by a set of Ethiopian grooves performed by Krar Collective.
The event, ‘Reach for the Bunting’, was held in an inconspicuous church hall in Hackney. The setting was perfectly twee with candles lighting the window sills, bunting looping down from the rafters and reasonably priced ale available for purchase at the back. The Ceilidh Liberation Front led the dancing with gusto, and after a few unsure stumbles, myself and a friend were just about swinging and twirling in time with the crowd.
The live band featured double-bass, fiddle and squeezebox. Percussion was played out on a variety of objects including a garden rake and a thick Jilly Cooper novel which was slammed open and shut close to the microphone. The CLF are a friendly bunch and led the dances with high energy and light humour. You can imagine their act going down well at a cider-fuelled summer festival.
José González & Tinariwen – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, May 3 2012
By Rachel Jackson
As I walked into Shepherds Bush Empire last Thursday evening the usual pre-gig atmosphere prevailed: loud chatter, long lines at the bar, the removal of coats, the quick trips to the loo. The only abnormal detail to this familiar scene was that in fact there was already someone on the stage, performing… ever so quietly. José González’s tentative opening set was no doubt skilful but was unfortunately drowned out by the bustling crowd, and would have been more effective if staged in a more intimate setting. González’s gentle folk brand which is made for candlelight and calm reverie, failed to command the cavernous venue. Regrettably and despite the fact the event was billed as a double headline show, González, an established artist in his own right, seemed like the support act.
Saturday nights for many hedonistic Londoners usually entail loud music, wild dancing and a dangerously giddy feeling. Escape the clubbing rat-race this weekend and join the good people at The Nest Collective, who promise to bring you all three of the above in handsomely hearty helpings. Their plans include a rip-roaring night of ceilidh dancing, followed up by a serving of cool Ethiopian grooves.
Sinead O’Connor – Southbank Centre, London, March 11, 2012.
By Rachel Jackson
Bare-footed, Sinead O’Connor took to the stage dressed in a tight leather jumpsuit and a red hat with hanging silver bells attached. Quirky as ever, she commanded the show and delivered a skilled set that was certainly passionate, if not blindingly inspiring.
By Rachel Jackson
You have to love a song that includes several exclamations of outrage at topics as diverse as giraffes, rainbows, UFOs and magnets. Via sensitive wordplay and a thoughtful descriptive tone, Insane Clown Posse somehow manage to tie it all together and deliver the track ‘Miracles’. Here is a taste of the rap duo’s lyrical prowess, as featured in the video above. It goes a little something like this,
Video Vault: Northerners With Attitude – Don’t Call Me Eskimo
By Rachel Jackson
Sometimes bad music can teach us a lot. The video ‘Don’t Call Me Eskimo’ features some seriously amateur MC skills, budget production and an awkward homemade video – all of which make it pretty damn funny to watch.
Yet the lyrics and visuals are massively informative about Inuit culture from a youth perspective. All of which makes ‘Don’t Call Me Eskimo’ a worthwhile, albeit amazingly amateur, contribution to the world of truly international hip-hop.